Scotland national testing plans face criticism

The Sottish government has been accused of treating schoolchildren ‘like guinea pigs’ as it pushed forward with plans to bring in national testing in P1, P4, P7 and S3 (Years 1, 4, 7 and 9).

Education experts have warned that there is not enough time to pilot the new online standardised assessments, due to the contract to deliver them being advertised six month behind schedule. It has also emerged that the new regime of tests would cost £12 million over five years, more than double what councils currently spend on standardised testing in schools.

Tavish Scott, the Liberal Democrats education spokesperson, commented: “Pupils deserve better than to be treated as guinea pigs.”

However, the Scottish government has argued that it has been committed to getting the specification for the assessments rights, and that tests will still be piloted and introduced to schools on-schedule in August 2017.